Exclusive Fat Burning Cardio Workout…by Brad Campbell

Instead of doing the same old interval training for your cardio workouts, try putting your body through a motion or exercise that it’s not used to doing.  For example, instead of always sprinting for 30 seconds, jogging for 60 seconds and repeating (or, insert whatever you typically do)…get a little creative and choose some movements that you haven’t done since, say, high school.

That’s what I did a few days ago, selecting a few basic conditioning drills our high school basketball coach used to force us to do every practice.  You’ll quickly realize that:  a) you’re not in near as good of shape as you’d like to think; and b) you can really ramp up the intensity and effectiveness of any fat burning workout with minor tweaks.

Another good reason to use unconventional exercises in your fat loss protocol is that your body was designed to live and work through various planes of movement.  Typical workout routines have you training to get better at moving and performing like a robot.  How does this help you in everyday life?

Think about how many times you’ve had to step laterally to squeeze through the front door before it slams shut, all while carrying about 5 bags of groceries in each hand.  How does always running forward, lunging forward, pressing a barbell straight up or pulling a cable straight back help you to do this easier?

It doesn’t.  And that’s a big drawback you’ll experience with a majority of the fitness programs out there.  Which is a bad thing because you know us guys will never change.  I mean, I’d rather break my eggs and smash my bread than make two trips carrying groceries from my car to the kitchen.  God forbid…

Of course, it’s not just groceries.  This applies to nearly everything you do in a given day, from putting those groceries away, to getting up from your desk, and so on.

Okay, so you’re sold on the benefits…now here’s just a beginner-like sample of how to stop being a robotic, one-dimensional trainee and start becoming a high performing, multi-dimensional beast. 

“Throwback Intervals” – Handle Your Fat Burning Business

5 minute warm-up, followed by 30 seconds of each exercise, with 60 seconds of walking or very slow jogging in between work periods:

—> high knees: stay on balls of feet, drive those knees up as high as possible and use exaggerated arm movement

—> fanny kickers: heels all the way to that booty, again with exaggerated arm movement

—> backpedaling: unlike first two exercises, go for speed here and use explosive strides (just look behind yourself once in a while to see what’s coming…I almost had a fatal accident involving the baseball fence the other day when I was doing these)

—> sideways shuffles: think basketball defensive drills (I hated these with a passion in high school…no wonder I sucked at defense), remember to get the butt low, chest out and keep toes pointing straight sideways; be sure to “shuffle” and not cross your feet; do 15 secs with each leg forward

—> tire jumps: pretend there’s a staggered course of tires and jump right foot at 45 degree angle to land in ‘first tire,’ then jump to left leg at 45 degree angle into ‘second tire’ and continue to repeat throughout the interval

*This is one round of intervals.  If you have any gas left in the tank, go on with your bad self and complete a second round.  Remember, you’re doing 30 seconds of first exercise, recovering for 60 seconds, 30 seconds of second exercise, rest 60 seconds and so on.

**A more technical way for determining the optimal work and rest periods for maximum fat loss is to use your target heart rate for weight loss

My “throwback intervals” may not sound overly intimidating, but I’m telling ya…sprinting sounded EASY when I was doing this workout the other day.

Why is this?

Because I’ve been guilty of overusing sprinting for my work portion of interval training for the past couple years.  My body has therefore become very efficient with this movement.  But when I flip the switch and sub some random movements that I haven’t done in a long time, it’s a different story.

I felt pretty beat down after just one round of these, which is great because the increased metabolic disturbance means more fat burning without having to extend the workout duration.

Try it.  I dare you. You’ll get better fat loss results AND you’ll be creating a more functional body that has some “go” to back up the “show.”

Your Coach,

Brad Campbell

PS – Put your name and best email in the shiny blue box below, but only if you’re “this cool” (I’m holding my hands quite a ways apart…so if you’re not sure go and get your coolness measured first, just to be safe)

Other cool workout routines to check out: Navy SEAL Workouts

Posted in Cardio Workout Routines, Rapid Fat Loss Workouts by Brad Campbell | 8 Comments